What is SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition
SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud Edition is hosted in the SAP public cloud. It is a limited version of the on-premise solution offered as a classical Software-as-a-service model: to use the software, customers pay monthly subscription fees. The deployment is also faster and more simple than the on-prem edition. Since SAP hosts the software, the customers do not have to worry about servers and infrastructure management. The same goes for updates: they happen every six months and don't require much preparation from the customer's side.
With this approach, customers can save on the internal IT team to maintain and manage the solution. However, the downside is less flexibility: the solution focuses on the key processes only, has a limited choice of settings, and only allows a few customizations.
S/4HANA public cloud edition targets middle-size companies looking for a light and flexible database platform that would allow them to scale. The solution also addresses the challenges of the professional services industry (consulting, accounting, IT services, etc.) – no other ERP platforms from SAP include best practice scenarios for this line of business.
Benefits of S/4HANA Public Cloud Edition
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No worries about infrastructure support and hardware maintenance
Since the software is hosted in the SAP cloud, you can save on infrastructure and hardware management resources.
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Fast deployment and easy updates
The deployment takes about 3-6 months and requires less resources and preparation than the on-premise edition. Updates are released every six months, and the process is generally simpler than the updates of the on-premise edition.
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Predefined best practice configuration (including professional services)
With S/4HANA Public Cloud Edition, you gain access to the best practices from dozens of lines of businesses. There is no need to reinvent the wheel and build all these processes from scratch: rely on what proved to be perfectly working!
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Pay only for what you use
Need more system users than before? Or, on the opposite, your business has grown, and you need more licenses? With the S/4HANA Public Cloud edition, you can easily scale your system and pay only for what you use.
Comparison of S/4HANA Public Cloud with other deployment options
When choosing which deployment would suit your needs, you have to set the priorities. Fast deployment or total control over IT infrastructure? Scalability or customization? Major initial investment or regular fees for many years ahead? Your answers to these questions define the deployment option.
Licensing
S/4HANA Public Cloud operates on a subscription-based licensing model (Software-as-a-Service). Regular subscription fees cover both software and hosting, reducing upfront costs and providing predictable monthly expenses. In contrast, the On-Premise version uses a traditional licensing model, requiring significant initial investment, while the Private Cloud stands somewhere in the middle with its Infrastructure-as-a-Service licensing model.
Time to market
If time to market is really important, S/4HANA Public Cloud is the best choice. Based on best practices, Public Cloud Edition eliminates the need for custom configurations, saving time and resources on deployment.
Infrastructure and maintenance
S/4HANA Public Cloud is fully managed by SAP, so you don’t need in-house resources to manage infrastructure and can save on operational costs and IT team – in exchange for those regular fees.
Update Management
Since SAP is in charge of support for S/4HANA Public Cloud Edition, updates are also managed and automatically rolled out by the vendor, ensuring businesses always run the latest version. However, this approach doesn’t allow you to control the update schedule.
Customization
As mentioned before, The Public Cloud edition prioritizes standardization over customization. You can easily maintain best practices, but supporting unique business requirements might be challenging (you might need additional development and help from a certified SAP Partner).
Flexibility and Control
S/4HANA Public Cloud Edition focuses on cost-efficiency and agility – however, it sacrifices some customization and control over infrastructure.
Overall, the S/4HANA Public Cloud is ideal for companies seeking rapid deployment, reduced infrastructure burden, and the latest features without heavy initial investment.
Why choose ACBaltica for S/4HANA Public Cloud implementation?
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Flexible and agile. Every business is unique, so is our approach toward every customer. We’ll help you find and implement the best approach that would fit your unique business needs.
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Diverse industry knowledge. We have experience integrating SAP for 10+ industries. We know how to leverage the full potential of SAP products and best practices – no matter the industry.
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Variety of services. As a Platinum SAP Partner, we provide a full range of services: not only can we help you implement SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud, but we also can find the best ways to customize it to your needs (including additional development) and help you with the first-line support.
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Deep expertise in SAP solutions. We've worked with SAP solutions for over 20+ years and know all versions released since then. If you’re using any other products from an extensive SAP portfolio, we can help you seamlessly integrate them with your S/4HANA Public Cloud.
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Competitive prices. With our delivery center in Eastern Europe, we can guarantee that our price-to-quality ratio will fit both your needs and budget.
Have more questions? Contact us!